SB Nation User Blog: baseballjunkie

Does anyone know what's going on with MadBum?

baseballjunkie — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:19:33 -0000

Does anyone know what's going on with MadBum?

I just checked in on the AA boxscore and noticed Bummy got taken out after just four innings, with a lead, despite pitching well. Forgive me for being a little worried, but, "WHY?! IS HE OK?! PLEASE TELL ME HE'S OK!!!"

Positive Evaluation of Giants Draft

baseballjunkie — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:32:03 -0000

Positive Evaluation of Giants Draft

I don't know much about the author, but he is a frequent blogger on Sickel's site and has just started his own. He seems to do a ton of research and sounds like he is quite knowledgeable. Seems to like the Giants draft. Sabes, Barr and Co SCORE again?!

Sabes saving his job?

baseballjunkie — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:23:46 -0000

Sabes saving his job?

A good draft this coming June could conceivably vault the Giants to the #3 rank next year since some of the Rays and A's talent could graduate to the majors. Neukom has expressly stated the organization will focus on homegrown talent so this has to make Sabean look a bit better.

Another possible draft consideration

baseballjunkie — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 00:18:52 -0000

Another possible draft consideration

#8 Matt Davidson sounds intriguing. Any McCoven in the Yucaipa area who can see him or forward any local reports? I know there are McCoven scattered throughout the country. It would be awesome to have a McCoven pre-draft scouting network!

Giants exec enters Scouts Hall of Fame

baseballjunkie — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:48:48 -0000

Giants exec enters Scouts Hall of Fame

This makes me confident that the Giants farm system is finally headed in the right direction.

From John Sickel's observations in Arizona

baseballjunkie — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:18:38 -0000

Kevin Frandsen, SS, San Francisco Giants: Looks healthy which is the important thing after missing the season due to a torn achilles. Line drive bat, hits to the opposite field, hustles, won't have much home run power. Played shortstop down here and looked fine, can handle second base no problem defensively.

Good to hear Frannie's making a strong comeback. I'd say he would have to be the frontrunner for the regular 2B job. So the early returns for the infield would show 1B: TI, 2B: Frannie, SS: EB, 3B: Pablito, C: B Money.

Buster found

baseballjunkie — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:09:24 -0000

Perhaps many of you know this already, but I just saw it posted on MLB.com on the Giants team site.

Buster has been sent back to Arizona so he can get more regular playing time in the instructional league. He had been playing only every third day or so since there is a rotation of three starting catchers in the Hawaiian Winter Ball league.

Also in Arizona are Villalona and 16 year old Dominican signee Rafael Rodriguez.

Knowing Buster is not busted is a huge relief. And it also shows the Giants are serious about his development, preferring he gets regular playing time and instruction rather than a more limited, though more "prestigious" gig in Hawaii.

Just found the first mock 1st year player draft for 2009...

baseballjunkie — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:10:03 -0000

at least the first that this cheapskate could find on a site where I did not have to pay.

It is on some site called draftinfo.wordpress.com and the first 10 picks are:

1. Washington Nationals- Stephen Strasburg, RHP, San Diego State

2. Seattle Mariners- Grant Green, SS, USC

3. San Diego Padres- Alex White, RHP, UNC

4. Pittsburgh Pirates- Kyle Gibson, RHP, Missouri

5. Baltimore Orioles- Dustin Ackley, OF, UNC

6. San Francisco Giants- Donovan Tate, OF, Cartersville HS, Georgia

7. Atlanta Braves- Matt Purke, LHP, Klein HS, Texas

8. Cincinnati Reds- Ryan Jackson, SS, Miami

9. Colorado Rockies- Andy Oliver, LHP, Oklahoma State

9a. Washington Nationals (For failing to sign 2008 1st rounder Aaron Crow)- Tyler Matzek, LHP, Capistrano Valley HS, California

10. Detroit Tigers- Robbie Shields, SS, Florida Southern

This order seems pretty reasonable to me.

I love the pick of Tate by the Giants. And I'm sure it will drive the Braves nuts since he is likely #1 on their board. It is the kind of pick that could turn out really well if the player reaches his potential (e.g. Bruce with Cincy). But I fear the SF management might consider the pick of Tate to be too big of a risk for the following reasons:

He has leverage in that he could choose to attend college and play football (and baseball).

He has tools galore, but can he translate them into performance as a pro?

They may be more inclined to choose a college hitter

There are some pretty good pitching prospects likely to be available at #6, possibly Crow (#11 in this mock), Purke, Givens (may be chosen as a pitcher, went #15), Turner (polished HS arm who can crank it up to 97, #13), and a hopefully healthy Scheppers (went #21).

Very early thoughts on the 2009 June draft

baseballjunkie — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 01:17:45 -0000

Even though the season is not yet over, I don't see the Giants finishing with a worse record than the Nats, Mariners, Padres or Pirates. If the season ended right now, they would have the #7 pick since the Orioles would win the tiebreaker, having had a worse record last season. In any case it is likely the Giants will "earn" a top 10 pick for 2009.

For the past two drafts I have been hoping the Giants would use their highest draft picks to address the shortage of position prospects in their farm system. In 2007 they did not do that, but I don't think anyone can vehemently complain about the picks of MadBum and Timmy2. This season they did a fine job of drafting high-upside hitters.

Now with the 2009 draft in mind I am beginning to have a change of heart. It is still early and several hitting prospects might burst on the scene, but right now none of the choices is overwhelmingly compelling. It would be nice to have a great defensive shortstop who can hit for power, but Grant Green could be off the board at #2 (right after Strasburg). Donovan Tate is incredibly talented and could be the second coming of Bo Jackson but he is thought to want to play both football and baseball in college. Mychal Givens, a SS/P, is compared to this year's #1Tim Beckham, but he may actually be a better pick as a pitcher. Dustin Ackley is someone I would want the Giants to draft if he could ever show more power hitting potential, since he doesn't fit the prototypical slugging corner OF/1B mode.

So if the Giants pick a pitcher I would not be terribly disappointed for two reasons.

First, there seem to be more pitching prospects than hitting prospects at this early juncture. Off the top of my head I can think of Alex White, Kyle Gibson, Aaron Crow, Matt Purke, the aforementioned Givens, and if he is healthy, Tanner Scheppers.

Second, the performances of Cain and Sanchez this year have caused me some concern that neither will ever develop into a solid and reliable #2 or #3 starter. With MB and T2 being unproven, albeit promising, it would not hurt for the Giants to add another strong pitching prospect to the fold.

Does anyone else have any early wish lists for the 2009 draft?

Bumgarner wins Minor League Award

baseballjunkie — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:03:06 -0000

Madison Bumgarner was officially named Minor League Baseball's Most Spectacular Pitcher today, making it two years in a row that a Giant farmhand has won the award after Kevin Pucetas won it last year. Go to www.minorleaguebaseball.com.

The award, which is somewhat of a misnomer, is solely based on the best ERA in the minor leagues. But it could justifiably have been given to Bumgarner if it was based on truly the "most spectacular performance" by a minor league pitcher. Enough has been discussed about MadBum's performance this year that I don't need to rehash his stats for all you McCoven. Let's just revel in the promise of the future that the young arms in the Giants system holds.